Window-cleaning utensil.



C. W. COOVER.

WINDOW CLEANING UTENSIL.

APPLICATION Hum AUG. 30, 1909.

96,2760 V Patented June 7, 1910.

CHARLES \V. COOVER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

WINDOW-CLEANING UTENSIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June '7, 1910.

Application filed. August 30, 1909. Serial No. 515,240.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES Coovnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVindow-Cleaning Utensils, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to implements for cleaning, and particularly to those adapted for cleaning windows.

The object is to provide a simply con structed and conveniently arranged device including a reservoir for water, an absorbent element or scrubber, and a wiping strip associated therewith, a particular object of this invention being to provide a means for regulating the supply of water to the scrub bing material so that the water may be entirely shut off and prevented from escaping from the reservoir, or so that the openings from the reservoir may be entirely unclosed to allow a maximum supply of water tothe scrubbing material.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in

which Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved window cleaner; Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof on a plane cutting the handle and filling opening; Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view, the shiftable valve plate being shown detached; Fig. 4 is a perspective detail view of a modified form of the valve plate; and, Fig. 5 is a transverse section of the valve plate, shown in Fig. 4.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following description and indicated in all the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

In the drawings, 1 designates a reservoir or receptacle having preferably a triangular shape in cross section. To the apex of the triangle is attached a socket 2 whereby the device may be'supported upon a handle 3. The receptacle may be of any desired length which will adapt it best to the purposes for which it is designed, and it is provided on its outside face with the filling opening 4 closed by a removable cap 5. It will be seen that the triangular reservoir is inverted with regard to the handle, the apex of the triangle being downward. This proclosed at its ends.

vides a reservoir which is wider at its upper portion than at its lower, and which projects out on each side beyond the median plane of the reservoir and beyond the plane of the handle. Thus, the device may be used in a vertical position, and yet the reservoir project out so much beyond the handle as to make it still capable of use. One of the upper corners of the reservoir is provided with an annular flange (5 which extends entirely along the face of the receptacle, the upstanding edge of this flange being spaced sufiiciently from the reservoir to provide for the retention of a rubber strip 7 of a character usual in window wipers, this strip projecting above the upper edge of the reservoir so that its margin may be flexible to a certain degree. The strip of rubber or other like material 7 constitutes a wiper which is used after the window has been washed. The opposite corner of the triangular reservoir is formed with a longitudinally extending pocket within which is contained a mass of cleaning material, such as cotton waste, felt, or other fibrous and absorbent material 8.

The pocket is conveniently formed by attaching to the face of the reservoir a longitudinally extending angular strip 9 which is This strip may be attached to the reservoir in any suitable manner. The reservoir is formed with a plu rality of openings 10 through which the water from the reservoir may pass to the fibrous material 8. As shown in Fig. 2, these openings are located on a level slightly above the upper margin of the wall 9 of the pocket, so that the material 8 is compressed below the openings. Thus the water has a free chance to flow out into the more or less expanded fiber, and be absorbed thereby, which would not be the case were these openings 10 located at the point of greatest compression of the mass of material 8. The upper edge of the receptacle is provided with the upstanding flange 11 which may be formed by a strip of material attached in any suitable manner onto the side face of the receptacle above the openings. This flange 11 is preferably longitudinally slotted, as at 12, in a plurality of places. Fitting over the flange l1 and against the outer face of the receptacle and over the openings 10 is a sliding plate 13 performing the function of a slide valve. This plate is perforated or cut away at a plurality of places, as at 14, these perforations or cut-away portions being of any desired form and adapted to register with the perforations 10 when the plate is moved in one position. The upper edge of the plate 13 is turned over upon, itself, as at 15, to grip the flange 11, the plate 13, preferably having sufiicient resilience, at least in its overturned flange 15, to elastically gri the flange so that the body of the plate will be resiliently forced against the outer face of the receptacle and in close contact with the face of the receptacle surrounding the openings 11. The overturned flange 15 is provided with studs, screws, in; dentations or other projections which extend into. the slots 12 so that these projections or screws act as stops, the slots limiting the movement of the slide valve 13. In the construction shown in the drawings, I have shown these stops as formed by screws 16 passing through the flange 15 and extending into the slots 12. Tongues 17 are struck out from the flange 15 so as to form a convenient means whereby the slide 13- may be shifted to close theopenings 10. In Figs. 1 to 3; I have shown the openings 14 and the openings 10 as. having a. circular form, but I do. not wish to be. limited to this formv of course, nor to the use of perforations or openings of this character, and in Fig. 4 I show the slide 13 as simply cut away upon its edge, as at 1 8, so that when it is shifted in one position, it will unclose these openings 10 and when shifted in the other position, it will close them.

The advantages of my invention are as follows: The triangular shape in cross section of the reservoir, makes it particularly useful for the purpose designed, in that it provides two opposed projecting corners which permit the washer to be used over out-jutting cornices or the lintels of win dows, and also to be operated from any angle desired. Either-the rubber or the scrubbermay be used with like convenience, for the reason that they are mounted on opposed corners of the receptacle. Further than this, the outlet of water from the receptacle may be regulated to any extent desired, or closed off entirely, if wished. The construction is cheap, contains no complicated' parts, may be readily manufactured and assembled, and is entirely effective in use.

Having thus described theinvention, what I claim is 1 A cleaner ofthekind described, including a longitudinally extending reservoir, a handle projecting therefrom, a longitudinally extending pocket formed: on one side of the reservoir and having an upwardly projecting outer wall,the wall of the reservoir having openings extending into the pocket and above the outer wall thereof, an adjustable valve controlling thepassage of water through said openings into the pocket,

and cleaning material carried within the said pocket and projecting out therefrom.

2. A cleaner of the kind described, including a longitudinally extending reservoir, a

pocket formed upon one longitudinal face ,of the reservoir and having an outer up.-

wardly extending wall, the wall of the reservoir having openings extending into the pocket above the outer wall thereof, a slide mounted on the wall ofthe reservoir and adapted to close or open the openingsftherethrough, and cleaning material carried in said pocket. f

3. A device of the kind described, comprising a longitudinally extending reservoir, a pocket formed upon the exterior of the res.- ervoir and extending longitudinally therewith, the reservoir having passages openin into the pocket, a flange projecting upward from the wall of the reservoir and beyond the same, a slide valve formed of a strip having cut-away portions adapted to aline with the openings of the reservoir, the upper edge of said strip. being overturned upon itselfto. engage with said flange, and. cleaning material supported. within'said pocket.

1. A device of the kind described, comprising a reservoir, triangular in cross. section, a handle attached to the apex of the reservoir, a pocket formed upon one corner of the reservoir, extending longitudinally therealong, the reservoir being formed with openings leading into said pocket, a flange projecting from. the corner of the reservoir above said. openings, a slideplate having an overturned edge engaging with the flange, stops for limiting the movement of the slide plate, said plate being provided with cut-- away-portions adapted inone position of the plate to register with the o enings through the reservoir, and a mass of cleaning material supported within. said, pocket and projecting out therefromv beyond the pocket.

5. A device of the kind described, comprising a reservoir, triangular in crosssection, a handle attached to the apex of the reservoir, one corner of the reservoir having attached thereto an angular strip, a wiping strip supported by said angular strlp, a

pocket attached to the other corner of the reservoir opposite to the wiping strip. and extending longitudinally therealong, said reservoir being formed with. openings leading into the pocket, said openingsbeing l0- oated. beneath the edge of the wall of the pocket, av flange projecting over the reservoir, a sliding plate having cut-away portions upon its face adapted to register with the openings-through the reservoir and having an overturned edge engaging with. said flange, stops for limiting the sliding movement of the sliding plate, and projections whereby the sliding plate may be actuated. 6. In'a devicev of the kind described, the combination with a reservoir having a. handle and a series of openings at one corner, of within said pocket and projecting beyond 10 a pocket attached to the exterior of the resthe same.

ervoir into which said openings open, a I In testimony whereof I afiix my signature flange extending upward beyond the reserin presence of two witnesses.

voir a slidin plate havin cut-away portions adapted to register with the openings CHARLES COOVER' in the reservoir, said plate having an overlVitnesses: turned resilient margin engaging with the LELAND A. BABoooK,

flange, and cleaning material supported FRANK J. MONERNEY. 

